Chapter 7
ZETH
Crissa was asleep, her body like a dead weight keeping me cemented to her human bed. My stomach ached and I was starving.
This dear vessel did say I could take control, if necessary. And avoiding starvation is rather necessary.
My presence slipped past her sleeping consciousness as I settled into her body.
My power and strength surged through her veins and tainted her blood, her nerves all sparking and firing with my attention.
I slowly opened my eyes and inhaled sharply, raising my body to stand.
“Ahhh.” I cracked my neck. “Now, to find myself a delicious little treat.” I planned to use this vessel to feed.
“Do not worry, dear human. I will not consume one of your targets…at least, not yet. No, I shall save that for our game of revenge.” I quickly dressed in her usual grunge-like attire, doing my best to hide my demonic features.
“My sights shall be set on something different tonight. Something…sweeter.” The corners of my mouth curled in excitement at this new adventure.
Time to hunt.
After exiting Crissa’s home, I walked around for a bit.
I didn’t really know where I was going, or how far I’d traveled, but eventually I found myself standing outside a bar.
Its lights flickered and whirred in the night, the neon sign buzzing with nighttime bugs.
The bar was partially filled with men and women, humans desperately seeking a drink or a partner to take home for the evening.
They all smelled absolutely delicious, the aroma of their desperation and desires hovering in the cool night air.
And as I inhaled their scents, I realized I had a craving for something particular tonight.
“A human blinded by desperation. Oh, what a perfect place to find such cuisine.” Time to satisfy this hunger pain.
I lowered the hat on my head, stuffed my claws into my pockets, and headed inside.
An empty stool sat at the bar next to a group of girls who were laughing rather loudly. I claimed it, listening to the group. “We have to go! She’s going to be back any second,” one of the girls whispered to another.
“Yeah, come on, leave your drink, grab your shit, and let’s go!
” They all looked at one another. “I mean, that girl is weird…totally not for you!” The two friends were trying to convince the dark-haired woman sitting next to me to leave.
It must’ve worked, ‘cause when I glanced back, the same woman was scurrying to leave.
Hmm.
A short, light tap sounded on the bar in front of me, stealing my attention away from the three women, now running toward the door.
I spun around and glanced up at a young man who was staring at me.
His face was rather pleasant to look at…
smooth features and slicked back hair, but there was no desperation in his eyes.
Boring.
And from the way he smelled, he reeked of annoyance and greed. Both delicious, but not my craving this evening. He opened his mouth and spoke. “Anything to drink?”
Ensuring my eyes remained hidden behind Crissa’s green hair and hat, I decided to order the most human-like choice and simply asked for a cup of water.
The guy gave me a strange look and came back only a few seconds later with a cup of the liquid, setting it down in front of me before storming off to another customer.
“She seriously left me?” A girl suddenly appeared next to me, stumbling over her words slightly and staring at the space where the other women had been sitting. “What the fuck? “She scoffed and looked at me. “Hey—did—did you see a girl here? Did she go somewhere?”
I couldn’t answer, for my senses were seized. The overbearing smell of desperation was rolling off this woman in waves, drowning me in its impeccable aroma. My stomach growled and I could barely focus.
I had found my prey for the evening.
Pulling myself together, I cleared my throat.
“Oh. There were a few of them just a bit ago, but they already left.” Her face dropped at my words.
Unsure of how to handle the situation I pulled the seat next to me out and patted it.
“I’m here alone, care to join me?” The woman squinted and I shook my head, hiding my eyes.
We both know you’ll say yes.
“Oh, um…” She hesitated, her fear growing with each passing second, but I saw the moment that her desperation took over. She craved companionship, yearned for it, and that’s what I was offering. “If that’s okay, you’re sure you don’t mind?”
“Oh, not at all. As I said before, I am here alone.” The woman hopped onto the chair.
“I’m quite glad you decided to join me. I was out wandering about, hoping for some companionship and some fresh air, and somehow ended up here.
” I forced out a laugh hoping it would make her loosen up. She did chuckle a bit.
“I get that. I’m Jessica by the way.” A small smile graced her face.
Jes-s-s-s-ica.
“My name is Crissa.” I returned her smile as we made small talk.
Forcing myself to behave like a human was getting harder and harder as time went on, not to mention keeping my demonic features hidden.
The more and more Jessica talked, the more desperate she smelled.
And the hungrier I became. Every time she tossed her dark hair over her shoulder, her neck would be exposed, and all I wanted to do was lick that pulsating artery, rip it out like a noodle and slurp it up, similar to how I did with that man in the alley. Oh, she was so undeniably tempting.
Jessica slurred her words, telling me the story of how she had come here on a date with one of the women who had left.
But it seems the woman ditched Jessica when her other friends arrived.
Now, she was plowing through drinks, consuming enormous amounts of alcohol, leaving her ripe for the taking.
It was the perfect time to escort her out and get her somewhere quiet to feast.
“Crissa,” Jessica hiccuped. “This is going to sound forward but, would you…would you maybe, want to come back to my place and hang out some more?” She twirled her dark hair. “I only live a couple blocks away.” The smell of lustful desperation poured from her body.
Jackpot.
“Oh.” I pretended to be shocked by her request. “Why sure, that sounds fun.” This was perfect. This human has no idea what’s in store for her.
Together, we exited the bar and wandered out onto the sidewalk.
The cloudy haze of all the human’s smells dissipated as we walked into the night.
Jessica grabbed my arm and playfully pulled me in the direction she wanted me to go, stumbling over her own feet.
Of course, I obliged without any hesitation, inhaling the desperation that clung to her skin, riddled with sexual frustration.
Oh this is going to be so much fun.
Jessica stumbled over a crack in the sidewalk, snapping her heel. I quickly reached out to catch her, pulling her body close to mine. She shivered lightly, her breath taken away by my swiftness.
Humans are so clumsy when drunk. So…impressionable.
Jessica’s small frame fit awkwardly against Crissa’s. The oversized blazer I donned was swallowing my vessel’s torso, making the whole scene an awkward affair, but I was determined to make this work, knowing she would taste so good.
“Thanks,” Jessica breathed. I held the other human close, smelling her growing tendencies. The alcohol she had been drinking was radiating from her skin, but just below that was the sweet smell that I so deeply craved.
I carefully helped her to her feet, taking her broken heel and holding her shoes as we continued.
Given her complete lack of self-preservation and words, Jessica was laughably desperate for attention.
But beneath all the layers to her scent, I caught a faint whiff of loneliness.
It wasn’t a flavor I typically enjoyed and reminded me of my vessel.
Crissa has always smelled so sickeningly lonely. Even the night she summoned me when her blood raged with revenge, she tasted that way. A shame really…she would make such a mouthwatering meal if she wasn’t so alone.
I paused.
But is she alone? Now that I am inside her—
Jessica’s words in my ear interrupted my thoughts. “This is me.” We stopped in front of a building and Jessica began leading me inside.
The human’s dwelling was rather small. I could sense that she didn’t live with any others as only her scent clung to the furniture and fixtures.
A rather ideal situation. I set Crissa’s bag, the same one I snatched on my way out of her home earlier, down by the front door.
It seemed like the appropriate, human thing to do.
Jessica sat on the small couch, now holding her shoes, and tossed them aside.
I did the same, removing Crissa’s boots and setting them down neatly.
A few minutes passed and the two of us just sat there in the ill-lit room, drowning in the silence.
Such anxiety and fear rippled from the woman, and I couldn’t bear to wait any longer.
I stood abruptly, eager to finally eat this human.
But then, Jessica stood as well and stepped directly in front of me.
She grabbed my face and I knew that she was initiating intimacy, so, like the polite demon I am, I obliged, deciding to make this a little game.
Oh, I am absolutely going to have fun. So, so much fun!
Jessica kissed me lightly, testing the waters to see if I would reciprocate. Her cheeks burned with anticipation. I carefully amused her for a moment. Her walls dropped almost instantly and she wrapped herself around me, moaning.
Humans can be so desperate.